1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to handles for brushes to groom pets, and in particular to a handle which can be gripped by the left or right hand of a groomer to effect optimal control of the brush for a selected mode of brushing activity.
2. Status of Prior Art
The external growth of an animal, which takes the form of fur or wool, is generally referred to as its coat. Proper grooming of the coat is essential to the health as well as the appearance of dogs and other pet animals. The hairs of a dog's coat have a tendency to become entangled and matted. It is difficult to bathe a dog to remove filth, vermin and other possible causes of disease from the dog's skin unless the hairs which cover the skin are free of tangles and are unmatted. A brush for grooming a dog or other pet animal must, therefore, to be effective, be capable of dematting the coat and also of removing dead and unwanted hairs therefrom. A dog must be brushed regularly to remove dead hairs and to ensure a lustrous, healthy coat.
There exist over two hundred distinct breeds of dogs, each having a characteristic coat whose nature dictates the various modes of brushing activity that are appropriate to the coat. Thus, in the case of terriers, such as an Airdale or a Wire Fox, the proper brushing procedure is to first brush gently in the direction of hair growth, and then more vigorously against this direction to remove mats and tangles. With a dog having a long and flowing coat, such as an Irish Setter, it is best to brush in the direction of hair growth, parting the layers in doing so. To avoid breakage of the hairs, the groomer must use a light stroke that goes beyond the ends of the long hairs.
The dead hairs on the coats of poodles do not readily fall out. Hence, with these dogs, one must brush vigorously to the skin to avoid deep matting. Such brushing should be performed at least two or three times a week. And in the case of dogs such as sheep dogs and Collies with harsh outer coats and soft wooly undercoats, then one must work on a small section at a time, part the hair to the skin and brush in the direction of hair growth, using a light stroke to avoid removing an excessive amount of wooly undercoat. In the case of cats, those with short hairs require brushing modes different from the modes necessary for long-haired cats.
A conventional brush for grooming pets is provided with a round handle that when firmly gripped by the fingers and thumb of the hand of the groomer will not rotate in the hand, and will afford a fair degree of purchase or a mechanical advantage when carrying out a brushing activity. But the handle does not take into account that some groomers are left-handed while others are right-handed, nor the fact that to carry out different modes of brushing activity, the handle must be controlled by the hand grasping it in a manner appropriate to these activities. Thus, if the necessary brushing movement in a given mode is in the axial direction of the handle, then the muscular force of the groomer should be applied in this direction. But if the brushing is in a lateral or other direction, a different set of muscles are entailed.
When a grooming brush handle is grasped by the hand of the groomer and the brush is applied to the coat of a dog or other pet, the degree of pressure applied to the brush and the direction it takes is a vector whose value depends on the muscles of the fingers and those in the wrist and arm that are then brought into play to carry out the brushing activity. The appropriate vector for producing a vigorous down or up stroke of the brush is different from that necessary to effect a vigorous side stroke, and still another vector is required to effect a gentle stroke in any direction.
Conventional handles for grooming brushes, though utilitarian in design, fail to enlist human factors engineering or ergonomics as a design consideration. As a consequence, the use of such handled brushes, particularly in the case of groomers who are elderly or somewhat enfeebled, will quickly fatigue the groomer.
Human factors or ergonomics is an applied science dealing with the interaction of tools and their users, taking into account human capabilities and limitations. Thus, from the standpoint of ergonomics, a grooming brush handle should be designed to afford not only a firm grip, but also a purchase or mechanical advantage which exploits the muscles of the fingers, thumb, and those associated with the wrist and the arm so as to best carry out different modes of grooming activity.
Of prior art background interest is the Stowell et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,286. This discloses a handle for a household or other hand-held implement that is provided adjacent its upper end where it joins the implement with concave depressions on either side of this handle. Anchored in each depression is an array of flexible fins to define grip sites which are occupied by the thumb and forefinger of the hand to enhance the user's grip on the handle.